Nuclear energy renaissance in the Czech Republic is already under way

In recent years, key decisions have been made in Czechia that have set the direction for the development of Czech nuclear power. We have very high-quality operating reactors at the Temelín and Dukovany nuclear power plants, which we want to operate safely for as long as possible. The construction of new large Generation III reactors is being prepared, and we have selected which small modular reactor design we will use. On this very solid foundation, nuclear power is now embarking on massive development.

On Wednesday 29 April, I attended a colloquium held at the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering of the Czech Technical University (FJFI ČVUT). Bohdan Zronek, director of the Temelín nuclear power plant, and his younger colleague Jiří Puchner from the Dukovany plant gave a joint lecture entitled Nuclear Renaissance: the Comeback of the Century. The presentation was aimed at students, as Czech nuclear power will need a large number of new specialists in the coming years. Both men began as operators at nuclear units after university and gradually worked through other positions, with Bohdan Zronek also reaching the highest levels of management. In my view, their talk, based on the practical experience of two specialists from different generations, was truly inspiring, and I believe it appealed to many students. It inspired me to attempt to summarise the state of the Czech nuclear renaissance, which is already clearly well under way.